What's the most powerful movie you've ever seen?

[cncrd]

For those who mentioned Hotel Rwanda, have you also seen Sometimes in April?

 

[erzu]

Originally Posted by hendrix

damn yeah, the book is way better though.



yes.

never read the book, but that is the case most of the time.

"the road" for me was very affecting as a book, life-changing even, but as a movie, it didn't really do anything wrong and was, arguably, the best that could have been made, but the experience was not even in the same neighborhood.

 

[imatlas]

Originally Posted by erzu

never read the book, but that is the case most of the time.

"the road" for me was very affecting as a book, life-changing even, but as a movie, it didn't really do anything wrong and was, arguably, the best that could have been made, but the experience was not even in the same neighborhood.

+ lots

 

[boogaboogabooga]

Originally Posted by Mal

City of God hasn't been mentioned and it should be.

More recent and I am surprised it isn't mentioned on SF is Tom Fords A Single Man.

I think City of God is incredibly over rated. To be fair, I think it has excellent editing, incredible direction and the cinematography and use of color are amazing. That said, there are a few holes in it, occurrences in the plot are startlingly convenient at times, it's convoluted, and sometimes I can't help but think it's a little exploitive. It has a tendency to make emotional appeals to justify it's very traditional good & evil positing of various characters even when they are essentially amoral for the most part. It's also a little too light on meditation.

A Single Man is sort of the same. Great first effort though. If Tom Ford becomes more assured he could become a very good director. He's probably one of the better contemporary film makers who wears some very French New Wave inclinations on his sleeve. Maybe someday he'll be the American Wong Kar Wai.

 

[boogaboogabooga]

Originally Posted by erzu

never read the book, but that is the case most of the time.

"the road" for me was very affecting as a book, life-changing even, but as a movie, it didn't really do anything wrong and was, arguably, the best that could have been made, but the experience was not even in the same neighborhood.

I haven't seen the film but to me 3/4s of that book is the prose and it's spatial use of grammar for an almost (ironically, maybe?) cinematic presentation. When reading the book I read poetics. I would think this would present a dilemma for the film maker. You'd either take all those poetics and reduce them to some guy scrounging through canned food and scaling structures that have great names the audience doesn't know about or you'd have to rely on narration for your entire film. Also, if you read enough McCarthy you know the apocalyptic setting is the manifestation of his literary fatalism and it makes the various up/down scenarios of the father/son relationship much more powerful.

 

[pinchi22]

Originally Posted by cncrd

For those who mentioned Hotel Rwanda, have you also seen Sometimes in April?

No. Do you recommend it?

 

[B3lla_D0nna]

Originally Posted by Jodum5

The Excorsist. I watched it when I was 9ish and it kept me frightened of being possessed by evil spirits while in bed in the dark for years.

City of God was great.
Lawrence of Arabia
The Road
There will be blood
There are many others I am missing.

The Excorsist scared the F**k out of me L.M.A.O still does till this day xD

 

[deadly7]

Speaking from a cinematography standpoint, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was awesome. Probably one of the best horror movies I've ever seen. Will add more later.

 

[Quatsch]

Maybe La Haine. That ending...

 

[cncrd]

Originally Posted by pinchi22

No. Do you recommend it?

Yes, I definitely recommend it. Sometimes in April is also about Rwanadan genocide, but without some of the "non-negative" aspects of Hotel Rwanda, if that makes sense. There's no Don Cheadle to make you feel like everything's going to be alrght somewhere, and the violence is much more immediate. It's just terrible desperation all the way through. Wiki link here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sometimes_In_April

It's one of the most disturbing films I've seen- it just communicates much more strongly than Hotel Rwanda the magnitude of what happened. The whole film is just so strong, at least for me, and so much more devastating than Hotel Rwanda. If anyone else watches it I'd like to hear your thoughts. Btw, if anyone knows Idris Elba, he plays the lead role.

 

[Contingency Plan]

Pumping Iron

edit: seriously, enjoyed The Fountain, Pi and Cube

 

[Butter]

Originally Posted by cncrd

Yes, I definitely recommend it.

+1

You should watch it during dinner.

 

[CDFS]

Over the Top. When he puts his cap on backward; you knew he means business.

 

[montecristo#4]

Old Yeller
Rocky

 

[StephenHero]

A couple I'm surprised not to see unless I missed them.

The Sea Inside
Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Deer Hunter
Unforgiven
Blade Runner
Rain Man